1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a portable brush vacuum cleaner and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner with a casing which houses an electric motor for a dust suction fan and for at least one roller-shaped cleaning brush driven by, for example, a speed reduction gear. This brush has a housing over it, and in this housing above the brush, and connected with the suction side of the fan, is a dust-collector, connected with a suction channel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A cleaner generally directed to the subject of the present invention is described in German Patent DE-OS No. 1 503 729 which discloses an apparatus for cleaning shoes. This reference provides a casing in which a motor with a suction fan is mounted. The motor drives a roller-brush via simple spur gearing. Just above the brush is a hood covering about half of the brush intended to catch dust. The hood is provided with a filter element, the outlet of which is connected with the suction side of the fan. The object is to have the suction outlet opening into the suction channel which rises to the dust-collector lengthwise at about the center of the horizontal axis.
A disadvantage of the above noted construction is that, with a small suction opening, along the outer portions of the brush a satisfactory suction of the dust brushed out at a tangent to the brush is hardly possible. A further disadvantage is that loose objects such as shoe-laces and pieces of material can be sucked in through the opening formed between the brush and the casing. Such objects can wrap themselves around the brush and damage the appliance. Enlarging the suction hole, which might improve the suction performance, only facilitates the sucking in of loose objects, makes side access to objects to be cleaned a problem and also demands greater suction capacity.